Posts filed under ‘#imnotok’
Teaching Children to Express Emotions Healthily: 3 Tips…
Creating a safe and open environment is the first step in helping children express their emotions healthily. When children feel understood and supported, they are more likely to share their feelings openly and confidently.
Navigating the Emotional Terrain: Dealing with Homesick College Students
Homesickness is an emotion that transcends age and experience, but when it strikes college students, it can be particularly overwhelming. I experienced homesickness during my freshman year of college, and was miserable until 3 things happened.
The transition from the comfort of home to the independence of college life can trigger a wave of nostalgia and longing for familiar surroundings, family, and friends. In this blog, we’ll explore the common causes of homesickness in college students and provide practical tips to help them navigate this emotional journey.
Understanding the Causes
1. **Change in Environment:** The shift from living with family to dormitories or shared apartments can be jarring. Students suddenly find themselves in an entirely new environment, often far from home.
2. **Separation from Support Systems:** Leaving behind the support of family and close friends can create a void that feels hard to fill. The absence of familiar faces can intensify feelings of homesickness.
3. **Academic Pressure:** The demands of college can be mentally taxing. When coupled with homesickness, academic stress can feel even more burdensome.
4. **Social Adjustment:** Building new social circles takes time, and not everyone finds their tribe right away. Loneliness can exacerbate homesickness.
Tips for Coping with Homesickness
1. **Stay Connected:** Technology allows students to stay in touch with loved ones more easily than ever. Regular calls, video chats, or even surprise visits can help ease homesickness.
2. **Create a Home Away from Home:** Personalize your dorm room or living space with mementos from home. Familiar objects can provide comfort.
3. **Get Involved:** Join clubs, sports teams, or campus organizations to meet new people and create a sense of belonging.
4. **Establish Routines:** Structure your day with a consistent schedule. Having a routine can provide stability and reduce anxiety.
5. **Seek Support:** Most colleges offer counseling services. Don’t hesitate to reach out if homesickness is affecting your mental health.
6. **Explore Your New Environment:** Embrace the adventure of exploring your new surroundings. Finding hidden gems in your college town can be exciting and distracting.
7. **Practice Self-Compassion:** Understand that homesickness is a common emotion. Be kind to yourself and acknowledge your feelings without judgment.
8. **Set Realistic Expectations:** College life isn’t perfect, and it’s normal to have ups and downs. Recognize that homesickness is a temporary phase.
Conclusion
Homesickness is a natural part of the college experience. It’s a testament to the love and connections students have back home. By acknowledging these feelings and implementing coping strategies, students can not only survive but also thrive during their college years.
Remember, homesickness is just one chapter in the larger story of your academic journey, and it’s filled with countless opportunities for growth, learning, and new adventures.
By the way, the 3 things that helped me handle homesickness:
1. Time
2. A subscription to Daily Word (from my mom)
3. Making new friends
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C. Lynn Williams, #MsParentguru
Parent Coach, Author, Speaker & Filmmaker
Is It Really Okay to Not Be Ok?
Many of us view success as pretty, handsome, moneyed, good job, well-liked…
Then when we don’t achieve success for any of the reasons listed below or more…
- Haven’t finished (or started) college
- Don’t have the right job
- Grew up in the wrong neighborhood
- Married… didn’t marry
- Wrong skin color, gender, religious belief
We wonder why we feel defeated, depressed, uninspired.
Or, we have “everything going for ourselves”, outwardly as my mom would say, and yet we feel defeated, depressed, or uninspired inside. Today in our How to ❤️ Love ❤️ Yourself More…Intentionally clubhouse, we talked about how being pretty and beautiful are NICE, but have nothing to do with how you feel inside. People are obsessed with looks and fortune. How can you be sad and depressed when you have good looks and wealth?
Easy!
As my co-moderator said, we are “cracked glass” and looking out we don’t see our external beauty and wealth. We only feel brokenness and sadness. Many of us live in quiet desperation and don’t know how to find our way out.
Suicide is not the answer.
I’ve lost several family members to suicide and while I don’t know exactly what each one felt before taking their life, I know what it feels to be the one left to pick up the pieces and try to figure out what happened? Each member had worth and value but did not feel that there was another way for their story to be told.
One of the best things you can do is open up and share your pain with a supportive friend, group, or a therapist. The other thing to do is remember, you are unique with a God-given purpose! Be who you want to be instead of a copy of someone else. Stop buying the “image” and be the original – one of a kind – amazing you!
Interested in loving yourself more deeply? Click Here – to schedule a complimentary chat with Ms. Parent Guru about how her How to Love Yourself In 30 Days coaching program can support you.
Click Here to become a part of her parenting community.
C. Lynn Williams, #MsParentguru
Parent Coach, Author & Speaker
Staying Sane While Raising Your Teens 
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